Roaring Brook Nature Center's “SUMMER 2010” Discovery Programs offer your child a unique blend of education and recreation that takes advantage of the curiosity and sense of wonder that all children feel toward the natural world.

This summer's program offerings include activities for pre-schoolers through students entering grade 8. Grade levels are those your child will enter in the fall. There is a $5 discount for each additional class a child attends.

Print and use the registration form and medical form (registrations are not taken by telephone or email). Enrollment is limited; early registration is strongly recommended! Call the Nature Center at (860) 693-0263 for additional information.

SCHOLARSHIPS: Roaring Brook Nature Center is currently accepting applications for the Alison Gill and Beth Dal Negro summer program shcolarships. The Nature Center's summer programs are offered for children in pre-school through entering 8th Grade. scolarships will be awarded on the basis of need. Application deadline is May 15th. Please call the Nature Center for information at 860-693-0263.

PAYMENT / REFUND POLICY: A $20 non-refundable deposit must accompany each class registration (amount of deposit is included in total class cost). Balance is due June 1 for all classes. For cancellations after June 6, balance will be refunded only if your child’s place can be filled from a waiting list.

CLASSES FILL QUICKLY - PLEASE CALL THE NATURE CENTER TO DETERMINE IF A CLASS HAS OPENINGS PRIOR TO MAILING/DROPPING OFF APPLICATION

Pre-school Programs - 2 1/2 and 3 year olds

An opportunity for the young child and a parent to learn together.Child must be three years old by January 1, 2011. Sorry, no older siblings.

Teeth, Tails & Claws ... June 28 - July 1Why does a hummingbird have a beak like a straw and an opossum a tail like a rope? How do animals' adaptations help them live in the woods?

Butterfly Bonanza ... July 6 - 9 NOTE: Tuesday - Friday program Experience the magical journey from caterpillar to butterfly. What happens inside a "pupa?" Can you say metamorphosis?

Dirt Makes My Lunch...July 12 - 15Grab a handful of soil and find out what's in it! Discover why animals depend on it and why we need it for growing food.

Birds, Beasts and Bugs ... July 19 - 22
Explore the natural world and uncover the secrets of animls that live in our woodlands and our own backyards.

Puddles and Ponds ... August 2 -5 Water, water everywhere - what does it do? Where does it go? Who lives in it? Who needs it?

Who Goes There? ... August 9 - 12 Tracks, a stray feather or an owl pellet - who's been here? Look for clues that animals leave behind.Mystery Animals ... August 16 - 19
What secretive creatures inhabit our woods? What are they doing here? Where do they live? Why don't we see them?

Programs for Grades K - 1

Each week offers a theme around which activities have been developed.
Programs include short hikes, games, stories, crafts and
observations of animals
kept at the Nature Center.

Animal Babies ...June 21 - June 25Find out how animals take care of their babies. Learn about the baby animals cared for at the Nature Center.It Makes Sense (NEW!)...June 28 - July 2 Use your five senses to explore the world at our fingertips. Listen, look, smell and feel to explore the woodlands around the Nature Center.

Clouds Speak (NEW!) ... July 5 - 9
Look at the clouds to learn about the weather. Explore how weather afftects the creatures of the forest and fields.

A Shelter Just for Me (NEW!) ... July 12 - 16CLASS FULL
What do animals use to build their homes? We'll expore different types of shelters used by woodland creatures.

The Log Hotel (NEW!) ... July 19 - 23 CLASS FULL
Fallen logs are important for food ans shelter. Use a hand lens to explore fallen logs along the trails.

Fish, Frogs, and Pollywogs ... July 26 - 30 CLASS FULLGet your feet wet and find out about life in a pond. Find out why pond creatures are so important to us. Afternoon Session Available 1:00 - 4:00 PM CLASS FULL

Journey to the Center of the Earth! ... August 9 - 13CLASS FULL We won't find real dinosaurs, but we will discover rocks, roots, fossils and even furry creatures. We'll also learn some secrets about the earth.

Summer Sun, Winter Wind ... August 16 - 20 CLASS FULL
Observe the signs that tell us fall is on the way. Learn about bird migration, how tadpoles become frogs and why the groundhog gets fat.

Programs for Grades 2, 3 and 4

Programs for youngsters with a developing interest in the natural world.Participants should bring a snack daily (NO peanut products please).

Through the Looking Glass (NEW!) ... June 28 - July 2 There's a miniature world out there and it's time to investigate it. Use your eyes, hands and microscopes to discover nature's dazzling shapes, colors and life that we rarely see.

Nature Arts ... July 5 - 9Designed to help students interpret what they see in the natural world in an artful way. You'll have the opportunity to paint, draw, sculpt and more using as many natural materials as possible.

The Water World ... July 19 - 23CLASS FULLWater lovers will enjoy wading across streams and along pond banks in search of their favoriteaquatic creatures. Afternoon Session Available 1:00 - 4:00 PM CANCELLED

Survival in the Wilderness ... July 26 - 30 CLASS FULLWhat would you do if you were lost in the woods? How would you find food and shelter? DIscover how people and animals develop skills to survive in the wild.From the Mountains to the Prairies (NEW!) ... August 2 - 6ONE SPOT LEFT A look at different climates and habitats to compare them to Connecticut. Theres are some very unique creatures living in our woods.

Indian Woods Wisdom... August 9 - 13 AM CLASS FULLHelp set up camp in the woods following ancient Indian methods and traditions of concern for the natural world. Experience animal tracking, native crafts and shelter building. Afternoon Session Available 1:00 - 4:00 PM CLASS FULL

It's A Hoot (NEW!) ... August 16 - 20 CLASS FULLLet's take to the skies to explore the lives of birds. From colorful songbirds to the silent predators of the night, over sixty bird species can be found in our woods.

Programs for Grades 5 - 8

Designed for the student with a high degree of interest in the natural world,
the programs include field trips to other natural areas in Connecticut.

Chasing Dragons ... June 28 - July 2Connecticut's only program on our fastest-flying insects, it combimes natural history, physical fitness and had-eye coordination as we attempt to "catch" these prehistoric creatures in order to identify ans census them. Includes physically active field trips to natural areas in the Farmington Valley and beyond. An insect net is recommended. Limit: 8 students (for students entering grades 5 - 9)

Explorations I ... July 12 - 16An active week of hiking the Appalachian Trail corridor, canoeing the FarmingtonRiver, exploring tidal salt marshes and more! Good physical condition is required. Limit: 12 students On the Trail of Vanishing Species ... July 19 - 23 CLASS FULLFind out about Connecticut's endangered, threatened and special concern species. Includes an all-day field trip to look for rare animals. Limit: 8 students

Hidden Gems in the Farmington Valley ... August 2 - 6CLASS FULL Daily hikes and natural history exploration of spectacular overlooks and scenic waterfalls right here in the valley! Participants should be in good physical condition. Limit: 8 students Farmington River Ramblin' ... August 9 - 13CLASS FULL Find out about the wildlife, ecology and history of the Farmington River. Includes a series of short field trips, plus an all-day Friday canoe trip. Limit: 12 studentsExplorations II ... August 16 - 20Another week of exciting field trips to Connecticut's unique natural areas. Includes opportunities for hiking, canoeing, and wildlife observation. Limit: 12 students